Complex Data Types and a Data Manipulation Language for Scientific and Statistical Databases

A Scientific and Statistical DBMS needs to recognize a greater variety of data types than those currently supported by conventional DBMSs. Using the concept of abstract data types, we propose a set of extended data types (Complex Data Types) to be supported directly by the DBMS. The Complex Data Types presently recognized include: set, vector, ordered set, matrix, time, time series, text, and generalized relation. A data manipulation language designed specifically for scientific and statistical data processing is presented using these types as a basis.